Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-03-11
THE roPoIoBAMPo FRAUD.

THE IUfOLObAHIO 4AhOO
The Topolobampo utopian scheme has
proven a flat failure. Its story is like that
of many another one. The crank Owen, who
so deluded some 500 confding people as to
immigrate to Sinaloa to found Socialist
colony, where every one was to be happy
and own everything everybody else pos
sessed, ought to be driven into the sea, if
the half that is told by escaped colonists
is true. Instead of the rose-colored pict-
ure Owen drew, the reality proved the
most Disseminating. The lands are either
worthless or poor; the Getty" mere clus-
ter of rugged tents and mating "lean-tos;"
the salubrious climate is heat at l040 by |
day, drenching fogs by night, and ina
laria everywhere" The crystal-pure water
is not to be found, and such apology for it |
as is used is brought eleven miles in bar
rels on foul-smelling schooner. The ir-
rigation promised is forty-fiye miles and
100000 distant. Smallpox has broken
out among the colonists, and there are no
hospital supplies on hand or physicians
who are willing to care for the sick.
Measles, scarlet fever and bowel COM
plants prevail, and deaths are frequent.
Not even burial is accorded the dead, the
bodies being thrown to the sharks in the
bay. The food is poor, and miserably |
cooked by a yirago who rules the camp. |
No one is allowed to cook for himself, |
and all eat at a common table in the open |
air. One frame building, l6 by 80, has
been built, but Owen reserves it wholly TO
himself, and not another stick of lumber
is to be had. On stock he subscribed,
Oven has not paid up cent. Instead of
$4,000 being in the treasury, there is
less than $4,000. Instead of the colonists
being all pure, good, chosen men and wo-
men, there is among them large element
that left the country for the country's
good and wrangling, quarrelling, abuse of
women, are reported and general state of
discomfort and disorder. Some thirty of
the colonists, after having sacrificed all
they had in the world, and buried some of
their children in the salt sands of the in
hospitable place, escaped few days ago,
and after many perils at sea, reached
Guyamas, where their great misfortuneand
pitiful condition so moved the railroad
officials that they were passed free to
Nogales. From there some of them have
reached Los Angeles, where they tell a
woeful tale of receptions and fraud, Of
quarreIling, discomfort and misery.
Stanley, the leader of the band that went
from this State to give its life to the work
OF the Credit Foncier" died in the
hospital, miserable hut made OF Mexican
mating. According to the story Of Mr..
Hawkins, of Minnesota, late the attorney
for the Communistic gathering, and now in
Los Angeles, there is one genuine hero in
the colony, Mr.. T. w. Glenn, Of Ham
ford, in this State When the physicians
in the camp refused to attend to those
sick with smallpox, because of lack of
medical supplies with which to treat
them, Glenn, who had been a druggist
at Hanford, left his new made
wife, immured himself in the hospital, and
is alone nursing and caring for the afflicted
inmates, while his bride of few days acts
as messenger between the settlement and
the peslhouse, carrying to her devoted hus
band food and such poor comforts as can
be secured for the sick and dying. 1t is al
a pitiful tale, but it is only repetition of
the old, old story, with slight modiica-
tions, of the search for Utopia, and the es-
Establishment of social organizations upon
plans of communism. They have pretty
much all failed; they have invariably been
led by eranls, broken up by discomfort, ard
illustrated the truth with new emphasis
that men are not yet advanced, nor viii
they ever be, to that stage when they can
live in groups without the restraints and
protection of laws, and that they never can
attain by single bound 10 those peaceful,
helpful and wholly happy conditions in
society that such would-be Mosesess as
Albur Owen preach as possible. When
devotees to the utopian idea, such as were
the Topolobampo colonists, are grouped to-
gether apart from the world of men, it de-
velops that they are moved by the same
motives, actuated by the same hopes and
desires influenced by the same passions
and fears which are manifest among men
everywhere. In short they soon discover
that the declaration of a principle is not
guarantee Of happiness, nor a new group
ing of social elements the equivalent of re-
formation. Cranks, fools and the cor
scienceless lead in these ehimerical
schemes, and disappointment sorrew and
x.,a hrin0 m the roar